Adjustable arch support



March 22, 1955 w. DANGMANN I ADJUSTABLE ARCH SUPPORT Filed May 14, 1953;

- IN VEN TOR. 17.44 /A/V 24A/MANN ATTORNEY United States Patent O ADJUSTABLE ARCH SUPPORT William Dangmann, Glendale, N. Y.

Application May 14, 1953, Serial No. 354,925

1 Claim. (Cl. 36-71) This invention relates to arch supports and in particular to one that may be adjusted by the individual using the same.

An object of the invention is to provide an arch support of any suitable material in which may be incorporated a yieldable structure that will give proper support to the instep of the foot and be flexible enough to provide a cushioning eiect so that the arched middle portion of the foot will be comfortably supported.

A further object of the invention is to provide in an arch support, means whereby the height of the arched portion of the support can be closely adjusted so that in actual use the support can be adapted not only to the varying arch sections of footwear but also to the foot of the wearer.

Still further objects of the invention are to provide an arch support that can be adjusted by the individual wearer not only for comfort but for wear and take up adjustment after long use; to provide a flexible structure that supports the arch not only longitudinally but also laterally; to provide a simplified construction that has a small number of parts, can be made at minimum cost, will have a long life and may be made up for use in mens, womens and childrens shoes.

Other objects and structural features of my invention will be apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the arch supporting member showing its position on the sole of the shoe which is illustrated in outline;

Figure 2 is an enlarged section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l showing the parts in elevation and the relative position of the support and its casing, and

Figure 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure l showing the position of the arch support in the arch section of the shoe and its relation to the other parts of the shoe structure.

Referring to the drawing in detail, indicates the jacket or casing shaped to provide a pocket extending inwardly from one side thereof and in which the adjustable supporting member, indicated generally by the numeral 11, is encased and which jacket can be made of plastic, leather or any other suitable material shaped in general arch configuration and presenting a heel portion 12 and an area 13 forward thereof.

ln order to adjust the arch member to any height desired, a plate 14 of rectangular form is provided having a threaded central opening 15 anked by offset rounded ends 16 transversely slotted as at 17 to provide passages for a spring strip 18. The opposite ends of the latter bear against the bottom of the casing as at 19. The bottom wall 20 of the casing rests on the inside of the arch of the shoe which provides the necessary support for the spring strip 18. The bottom wall is provided with an opening 21 in register with an adjusting oating stud 22 of the type commonly known as an Allen head set screw or any other like form which can be manipulated with a socket wrench of any well known form and which is supported in the plate 15 and beneath the strip 18 so that the stud 22 will not form a lump in the arch support that would be felt by the foot of the wearer.

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The center of the strip 18 passes over, and is raised by, the stud 22, the adjustment of which causes the center of the strip to rise which movement thrusts down the outer reaches or ends 19 of the strip to form a bow or arch at the center of the supporting member 11. This bow raises the top 23 of the casing to the proper height to give the desired support to the arch of the foot, and the strip of spring steel gives the degree of resiliency or flexibility desired without letting the stud touch the bottom of the shoe. The stud floats and as the arch flexes the stud will not touch anything solid to provide an obstruction that would be felt by the arch of the wearer.

The outer ends of the plate 14 bear on and are supported by the strip 18 and in order to provide a lateral support the plate is formed with an integral side tongue or extension 26 having an oiset portion which bears on the bottom wall 20 of the casing. Support of the arch is thus provided at three triangularly spaced points which prevents the support member from skewing or from becoming displaced laterally in addition to lending ilexibility to the side tilting action of the arch support under stress.

It will be evident that when the screw or stud 22 is loosened, the strip can be longitudinally adjusted so that the degree of flexibility of the support fore and aft can be closely adjusted and when the screw is adjusted the degree of arching can be closely controlled to fit the foot and shoe of the wearer. Also, the oiset crimped ends 16 coact with the high central portion of the strip 18 to provide a smooth arched area in the top 23 for the comfort of the wearer. The supports are made in right and left pairs as desired and it is evident that with the few number of parts employed the arch support can be made up at minimum cost and in varying sizes and widths Without altering the size and form of the plate, the strip and the adjusting screw.

My invention is not to be restricted to the precise details of construction shown since various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention or sacrificing the advantages to be derived from its use.

What I claim is:

In an arch support, in combination; a fiexible casing presenting top and bottom walls providing a pocket opening at one -side of the casing, the bottom wall having an opening therein; an arching member insertable into the pocket of said casing and including a rectangular plate having a threaded opening at the center thereof and spaced transverse slots flanking said opening, the ends of said plate being bent upwardly beyond said slots and terminating in rounded end portions providing supports for the top wall of said casing; said plate also being shaped to provide a side tongue extending laterally therefrom and having an offset portion bearing at its terminal end on the bottom wall of the casing; a headless stud threaded in said opening; an elongated strip of material passing through said slots and over the upper end of said stud; said strip being longitudinally movable to adjust the position of the bearing ends thereof in contact with said bottom wall of the casing; said bearing ends of the strip and the bearing terminal end of the tongue providing a three point triangularly disposed bearing support for the arching member in said casing and said stud being adjustable through the opening in the bottom wall of the casing for exing the arching member and being supported in the arching member in floating spaced relation to the bottom of said casing.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,113,898 Nehus Apr. 12, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS 303,414 Germany Jan. 2l, 1918 

